International Power Pop: El Inquieto Roque

El Inquieto Roque “3D”

On occasions I’ve reviewed foreign albums, but this one is special. Translated the name is “Restless Rogue” and he’s an inspiring and talented musician from Valencia, Spain. This wonderful melodic pop magic is like a Spanish mix of ELO and Jellyfish. If someone wants know how power pop translates outside of the USA, this is a textbook example of the genre at its best. Even if you don’t know a word of español, you will still find yourself humming the melody to “Hay Algo Muy Dentro De Mi” (roughly translated to “There’s Something Inside of Me”).

The production is professional and crisp throughout. Whet your appetite with the multi-tracked vocals of “Chiliburguer” reminding me of both ELO and Pilot singing about their favorite lunch. “Cada Dia” has a jangle similar to Teenage Fanclub, and the Beatlesque Rickenbacker guitar makes “Tengo Algo Que Decirte” another “must-listen” song. The three part harmonies on “Coffee Break” (which include a few words of English) is another modern, catchy gem. Honestly, no filler here and I swear if this was in English it would be in my top ten for 2014 easily, but I can confidently call this my favorite foreign language power pop album this year.